The ravine led to a long stretch of broken hills. The stone spires stuck up like broken spears, and their shadows were long and twisted in the sun. The air was buzzing, but not with bugs; it was something deeper, like the earth itself whispering through the cracks.
Chen Ho took his time. The Phoenix on his shoulder shook and flared its feathers. Its eyes glowed like molten gold and stared straight ahead.
"You feel it too," Chen Ho said softly.
The hills led to a hollow basin. A ruin stood in the middle, half-buried in dirt and vines. Pillars were cracked and leaning, with old carvings on them. Moss crawled over the stones, but there was a faint light that pulsed inside the carvings.
Phoenix flew off his shoulder and circled the ruin, making loud noises. Flames dripped from its wings like sparks falling into the past.
The Murals
The air inside the ruin was cool, thick, and old. Dust floated in beams of light that came through cracks in the roof.
Murals covered the walls. Lines cut into stone that were worn but not gone. Chen Ho followed them with his eyes.
The first mural showed a bird of fire with its wings spread wide and its body surrounded by fire.
The second was a dragon that looked like a snake and was wrapped around mountains with its mouth open in a silent roar.
The third is a Qilin, which has hooves on clouds and horns that shine.
Phoenix landed next to him and stared at the stone carving of itself. It cried once, in a sharp, piercing way. Flames shot out of its feathers, setting the ruins on fire.
The mural spoke back.
For a moment, the carved Phoenix glowed, as if it was remembering how life used to be.
Chen Ho's chest felt tight. He reached for the pouch on his side and pulled out the broken Dragon Scale he had found in the cave. The murals shook as soon as they touched the air. The engraving of the dragon glowed a faint green, and light crawled along its body.
The ruin shook. There was dust on the ceiling.
Phoenix screamed again, not because she was scared, but because she knew what was going on. Flames wrapped around Chen Ho's arms. They were hot but not dangerous.
"Kin..." he breathed. "You are calling each other."
Whispers
There was a sound coming from deep inside the ruin. It wasn't quite a voice or a roar. A whisper, thick and layered, pressed against his head.
Child of fire...
Chen Ho stopped moving and held his breath. Four quiet chords hummed under his ribs in response to his hidden awakenings.
The Dragon wakes up when the Phoenix sings. When the fire burns, the storm comes.
The light in the murals faded and went out. Again, there was silence, and all that could be heard was Chen Ho's heartbeat and the soft chirp of the Phoenix.
He slowly let out a breath and wrapped the Dragon Scale back up in cloth.
He said, "Not yet." "But soon."
Outside the Ruins
The sky had changed when Chen Ho stepped back into the basin. The sun was still shining, but the clouds were moving. The air was heavy and charged with storm.
The tremors had drawn other students to the ridge. Their faces were pale and their eyes were wide.
"Did you feel that?"
"The ground shook, like something was alive."
"Some people say... a dragon sleeps here."
Zhao Yunxian's voice cut through the whispers like a knife. He moved forward, with a red lizard by his side. "That's not true. There are no dragons. "Only fools chase myths."
His eyes fell on Chen Ho, and they stayed on the Phoenix that was glowing faintly at his shoulder. "But maybe some idiots need to be reminded of their place."
Chen Ho looked him in the eye and didn't say anything. The Phoenix tilted its head, and a single spark flew out of its beak.
It sounded like the storm above was answering.
Suspense
The Trial Grounds groaned like a sleeping beast as night fell. The trees bent even though there was no wind. Rivers shook for no reason.
Chen Ho kept walking, each step taking him deeper.
Behind him, rumors spread like wildfire: "He woke up the ruins."
— "The murals shone."
— "The Phoenix sang."
Thunder rolled again, this time closer.
The Dragon was awake now.